STAR TO LAUNCH
TWO NEW CHANNELS
Star India is shining and how! Not only is it bringing two
new entertainment channels to the country, it also plans to
launch direct-to-home services with 65 channels on its platform
for a monthly subscription of Rs 180 from November.
STAR Group CEO, Michelle Guthrie today
met the I&B minister Ravi Shanker prasad and briefed him
on the Company's expansion plans in the light of the network's
performance in the country. The Rs 180 subscription fee proposed
for Star's DTH service is cheaper than not only the existing
DTH offering from the Zee stable but also ordinary cable services.
Sources said she told Mr Prasad that the
existing entertainment channel, Star Plus was a big hit and
the Company was raking in revenues.
The Group was therefore very positive on India which had an
"abundance of talent, geographical and linguistic diversity."
However, it was difficult to bring in
new flavours unless the ongoing soaps were removed. So the
Company had decided to start two more new channels in the
entertainment segment.
She also said that the television sector in India was booming
and there was sufficient room for all players. ar importance
to consumer satisfaction, sources said.
She also mentioned the pending DTH application to the minister.
Earlier, accompanied by Star India CEO, Peter Mukherjea, Ms.
Guthrie made a presentation on the Rs 1,500 crore DTH joint
venture which it plans with the Tatas to I&B officials,
urging for a speedy clearance.
Hopeful of attracting one million viewers
in the first year of operations, the Star- Tata DTH platform
will add on content on lifestyle, cookery, gardening it was
revealed.
According to sources, Star-Tata DTH subscriber would be required
to make an initial payment of below Rs 5000 for the DTH service,
while the set-top box will carry a sub-Rs 3000 price tag.
Various finance schemes will be on offer.
The application for the Star-Tata DTH venture was filed in
February soon after CAS was put on hold by the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India. While the non-refundable entry fee of
Rs 10 crore has been paid up, a guarantee of Rs 40 crore has
to be paid before the Company receive a letter of intent from
the I&B ministry.
The Company (which planned to link through
PAS) is still trying to sort out the issue with ISRO as the
norms demand that the link should be through an Indian satellite.
The first and only other DTH operator, Zee -affiliate ASC
Enterprises has launched the service in October last year
for Rs 100. This service called DISH TV offers 38 channels
and is gradually adding ten niche channels for Rs 10 each.
Prasar Bharati is also speeding up preparations
for what it calls free-to-air or common man's DTH (meaning
only FTA channels would be carried ) with the view to reaching
those viewers who have no access to cable or terrestrial TV.
It signed up with ISRO to hire transponders
for the DTH project. Meanwhile, in the Delhi Court today,
Saisagar Cable Networks from Manmad, Maharashtra which had
petitioned against Star India for disconnecting signals, withdrew
the plea after informing the Court that it would approach
TDSAT for relief.
